In this news alert:

UKRAINE – Work Permit Issuance Rules Amended

Changes to the rules of issuance of work permits became effective 3 February 2017. Decree No. 28 of 18 January 2017 introduced the changes.

What are the changes?

The decree formalizes several rules which earlier existed in practice, and introduces the following changes:

Work permits can be issued for the purpose of concurrent employment;

The employer is obliged to conclude an employment agreement within 90 days after the decision to issue the work permit is made. If the employer fails to do so the work permit is to be cancelled. The time limit for submitting a copy of the employment agreement is ten days after the date it is concluded;

If the documents supporting the application are insufficient or inadequate, such application will be left without consideration. The applicant will be notified of this within three business days after the application was submitted;

The application for extension of a work permit can be submitted not earlier than 40 days before the expiry date;

If the state body decides to reject an application, the employer can appeal to the state labour service within ten days. The terms of appeal are defined by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.

Action Items

Employers in Ukraine should ensure that all required documents are submitted in support of work permit applications on behalf of their employees, and that employment agreements are signed and submitted within the time limit.